Car-coupling



(Model) M. F. MOKIRAHAN.

Gar Coupling. No. 236,447. I Patented Jan. 11,1881.

1727670202" 14 zmw, 721 M UNITED STATES PATENT @EErcE,

MATHEW F. MGKIRAHAN, OF LAMIRA, OHIO.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 236,447, dated January 11, 1881.

Application filed September 22, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MATHEW F. MCKIRA- HAN, of Lamira, in the county of Belmont and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which forms part of this specificatiomin which the figure is a side elevation, partly in section.

The nature of my present invention relates to an improvement in car-couplings, the devices constituting such improvement being also especially adapted for a gate-latch,'as will appear from the following specification.

To such end the invention consists, first, in a pair of expansible jaws adapted to engage with a link or slotted latch-bar, and a hinged latch-lever for expanding or opening the jaws in order to admit of the disengagement of the link or slotted latch-bar therefrom second, in the combination, with a pair of expansible jaws having hook-shaped ends with beveled or curved front edges, of a spring for closing said jaws and a lever hinged near the outer extremity of one of the jaws and formed with an opening through which the remaining jaw passes, the said lever being adapted to open the jaws when it is swung forward; third, in the combination with a pair of expansible jaws having hook-shaped ends with beveled or curved front edges, of a lever hinged to one of the jaws and arranged to open the jaws when it is swung forward, and a link or slotted latch-bar formed with a wedge or spearshaped forward end, all as hereinafter more fully described.

The pair of expansible jaws A A herein shown are hinged together by means of a pivot or pintle, B, which passes through the rear ends of the said jaws. One of these jaws is formed with a mortise, while the rear end of the remaining jaw is reduced in thickness, said reduced portion being titted into the mortise, and the two ends of the jaws, thus formed, being hinged together by the pivot. The forward ends of thesejaws are made hook-shaped, as at A, and the front edges, a, of these hookshaped ends are made curved or beveled, so

(Model) that when the inclined sides of the wedgeshaped link or slotted latch bar E strike against. the outer edges of the hook-shaped ends the jaws will be forced apart and the link or latch-bar be guided in between them. This link or latch-bar is formed with the wedgeshaped end 6, and also with a lol'lgitudinal slot, f, into which slot the hook-shaped ends of the jaws enter, so as to meet each other after the wedge-shaped end of the link or latch has passed the ends of the jaws and entered between thejaws in rear of their ends. Toinsure this entrance of the ends of theja-ws into the slot of the link or latch, and also to main tain thejaws in a closed position, a spring, F, is secured to one jaw and passed over the end of the remainingjaw, as herein illustrated.

The curved lever Gr, which is employed for opening thejaws, is hinged at one end to one of the jaws, at a point near the hook-shaped end of the latter, by a pivot, H. This lever is formed with an opening, I, through which the remainingjaw passes, and thelever is also extended to form a handle, G, by which it will be operated. It will be seen that when the jaws are closed this curved lever will be thrown back, so that such portion of it which is between the two jaws rests upon the curved inner edges, a a, of the two jaws, thereby leaving a space between the jaws for the reception of the wedge-shaped end of the link or latch. In this position the straight inner edge, c of one of the jaws rests upon the lower side, i, of the opening which is formed through the lever. To open or expand the jaws the operator will swing the lever forward, and in so doing the jaws will be forced apart to an extent proportionate to the arc in which the lever moves. ln advancing the link or latch between the jaws,when the lever has been swung forward toits farthestlimit,theend of the link orlatch striking against the lever will force the same back, so as to allow the jaws to be closed by the action of the spring. If, however, the lever has been previously swung back and the jaws closed, then the link or latch will force the jaws apart, so that its wedge-shaped end will pass in rear of the hook-shapedjaw ends.

It will be noticed that the inclines of the wedge-shaped end of the link or latch terminate at the rear in shoulders K, which provent the link or latch from being retracted from between the jaws until after the latter are opened,

The adaptation of this device to a car-coupling is so simple as to hardly require explanation. Thus each car would be provided at each end with one pair of these jaws and with one of such links or latch-bars.

This device may be applied to the car in any desirable manner; but I have shown, by dotted lines in the drawing, the coupler secured to lugs s beneath the car-body S.

In applying the device to a gate the latchbar can be secured to the post and the jaws to the gate, or the jaws to the post and the latch bar to the gate, as desired. When so applied to a gate the latch will not be injured by any sagging of the gate, since the forward end of the link sufficient play between the jaws, and the said jaws are sufticiently yielding to prevent such injury.

Among other advantages of the device as a car-coupling, it will be found that the lever acts to open the jaws when it is swung forward, and that when it is swung back it. will tend to close the jaws.

Having thus described my invention, what Ielaim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. The herein-described pair of expansible jaws adapted to engage with a link or slotted latch-bar, and ahinged latch-lever for expanding or opening the jaws in order to admit of the disengagement of thelink or slotted latchbar therefrom, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a pair of expansible jaws, A, having hook-shaped ends with curved or beveled front edges, ofa spring for closing said jaws, and alever hinged near the outer extremity of one of thejaws and formed with an opening through which the remaining jaw passes, the said lever being adapted to open the jaws when it is swung forward, substantially in the manner herein described.

3. The combination, with a pair of expansible jaws, A, having l'iook-shaped ends with beveled or curved front edges, of a lever hinged toone of the jaws and arranged to open the jaws when it is swung forward, and a link or slotted latch-bar formed with a wedgeshaped forward end, substantiallyin the manner and for the purposes described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MATHEW FOSTER MCKIRAHAN.

Witnesses:

JOHN RYAN, J OHN W. LEWIS. 

